Book:
Titel: If Beale Street could talk
Uitgever: Wolters-Noordhoff, Groningen 1995 (BlackBirds) Druk: ? Jaar van eerste druk: 1974
Aantal pagina’s: 143 Author: James Baldwin was born in New York City. He turned to writing after an early career as a boy preacher in Harlem's storefront churches. He attended Frederick Douglass Junior High School in Harlem and later graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School, where he was editor of the school magazine. Three years later, he won a Eugene Saxton Fellowship, which enabled him to write full-time. After leaving the United States, Baldwin resided in France, as well as in Turkey. Baldwin's first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, was published in 1953 and received critical acclaim. Two years later, his first collection of essays, Notes of a Native Son, again won favourable critical acclaim. This was followed, in 1956, by the publication of his second novel, Giovanni's Room. His second collection of essays, Nobody Knows My Names, brought him into the literary spotlight and established him as a major voice in American literature. Baldwin spent most of the remainder of his life in France. In 1986, the French government made him a commander of the Legion of Honour, France's highest civilian award. He died at his home in France, on November 30 1987, at the age of 63. First reaction: I chose this book not for a special reason. We had to read a book and I just chose a book with not to many pages and hopefully not to hard to read. My first reaction is positive. It is a nice book. Deepening: Tish is a young girl who lives in Harlem with her parents. Harlem is an area in New York where many Negroes live. She tells about her youth with Fonny. Fonny has been her friend for years, and now she is pregnant of him. They decide to marry too. Tish often visits the family Hunt, which is the family of Fonny, because she likes Fonny and his father. Fonny has two sisters, but Tish does not like them neither his mother. In Harlem are many racists. Almost none of them like the Negroes. A friend of Fonny and Tish tells about how he gets in trouble because of that racism. Fonny gets in trouble too, by a woman, Ms. Rogers, who is raped by a man. She says that Fonny raped her, and a white policeman confirmed that. The policeman has some pictures, and there is only one black man. Ms. Rogers accuses Fonny, because Fonny is black too and he goes to jail innocently. The two families got a lawyer, Mr. Hayward, who is ordered to get Fonny out of jail. This lawyer says that this target will be very difficult to reach. Hayward has to prove that Fonny is innocent. The families do everything they can to get Fonny out of prison. Sharon, the mother of Tish, is going to search for Ms. Rogers. Ms. Rogers has gone to Puerto Rico and Sharon travels to Puerto Rico to look there for her. Sharon finds Ms. Rogers, but Ms. Rogers does not want to help in any way. The other family works very hard to earn money to get Fonny out of jail. They are successful, but then by the awful circumstance, Fonny's father commits suicide. On the end of the story, the baby is finally born and Fonny is out on bail. The story takes place in Harlem, New York. There is no exact year mentioned, but I think the story takes place in the seventies. About the same time as the book is written. Tish is a young black girl somewhere between sixteen and twenty years old. She lives with her family in Harlem. Tish is the main character in this book and she tells the story. So the book is told from the first-person. Fonny is also black and about twenty years old. He is a sculptor, and the future father of the baby of Tish. He is beloved by his family and of course by Tish. Everyone helps him (and Tish) to get him out of prison. The climax of the book is at the end of it. Fonny is free and his child is born. The title, If Beale Street could talk, wants to say something like; if it could talk, everything would be better. If the street could tell what happened to al the black people, things should change. Opinion: I think that this is a nice book. Although I am not a very sensitive person, the book is kind of touching. When you read it, you could easily think this book is based on a true story.
Uitgever: Wolters-Noordhoff, Groningen 1995 (BlackBirds) Druk: ? Jaar van eerste druk: 1974
Aantal pagina’s: 143 Author: James Baldwin was born in New York City. He turned to writing after an early career as a boy preacher in Harlem's storefront churches. He attended Frederick Douglass Junior High School in Harlem and later graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School, where he was editor of the school magazine. Three years later, he won a Eugene Saxton Fellowship, which enabled him to write full-time. After leaving the United States, Baldwin resided in France, as well as in Turkey. Baldwin's first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, was published in 1953 and received critical acclaim. Two years later, his first collection of essays, Notes of a Native Son, again won favourable critical acclaim. This was followed, in 1956, by the publication of his second novel, Giovanni's Room. His second collection of essays, Nobody Knows My Names, brought him into the literary spotlight and established him as a major voice in American literature. Baldwin spent most of the remainder of his life in France. In 1986, the French government made him a commander of the Legion of Honour, France's highest civilian award. He died at his home in France, on November 30 1987, at the age of 63. First reaction: I chose this book not for a special reason. We had to read a book and I just chose a book with not to many pages and hopefully not to hard to read. My first reaction is positive. It is a nice book. Deepening: Tish is a young girl who lives in Harlem with her parents. Harlem is an area in New York where many Negroes live. She tells about her youth with Fonny. Fonny has been her friend for years, and now she is pregnant of him. They decide to marry too. Tish often visits the family Hunt, which is the family of Fonny, because she likes Fonny and his father. Fonny has two sisters, but Tish does not like them neither his mother. In Harlem are many racists. Almost none of them like the Negroes. A friend of Fonny and Tish tells about how he gets in trouble because of that racism. Fonny gets in trouble too, by a woman, Ms. Rogers, who is raped by a man. She says that Fonny raped her, and a white policeman confirmed that. The policeman has some pictures, and there is only one black man. Ms. Rogers accuses Fonny, because Fonny is black too and he goes to jail innocently. The two families got a lawyer, Mr. Hayward, who is ordered to get Fonny out of jail. This lawyer says that this target will be very difficult to reach. Hayward has to prove that Fonny is innocent. The families do everything they can to get Fonny out of prison. Sharon, the mother of Tish, is going to search for Ms. Rogers. Ms. Rogers has gone to Puerto Rico and Sharon travels to Puerto Rico to look there for her. Sharon finds Ms. Rogers, but Ms. Rogers does not want to help in any way. The other family works very hard to earn money to get Fonny out of jail. They are successful, but then by the awful circumstance, Fonny's father commits suicide. On the end of the story, the baby is finally born and Fonny is out on bail. The story takes place in Harlem, New York. There is no exact year mentioned, but I think the story takes place in the seventies. About the same time as the book is written. Tish is a young black girl somewhere between sixteen and twenty years old. She lives with her family in Harlem. Tish is the main character in this book and she tells the story. So the book is told from the first-person. Fonny is also black and about twenty years old. He is a sculptor, and the future father of the baby of Tish. He is beloved by his family and of course by Tish. Everyone helps him (and Tish) to get him out of prison. The climax of the book is at the end of it. Fonny is free and his child is born. The title, If Beale Street could talk, wants to say something like; if it could talk, everything would be better. If the street could tell what happened to al the black people, things should change. Opinion: I think that this is a nice book. Although I am not a very sensitive person, the book is kind of touching. When you read it, you could easily think this book is based on a true story.
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